Chow Chow
The Chow Chow is a non-sporting breed from China, standing 17–22 in at the withers, weighing males 40–90 lb · females 35–85 lb. Recorded lifespan is 11–13 yrs.
- Breed group
- Non-Sporting
- Origin
- China
- Height
- 17–22 in
- Weight
- males 40–90 lb · females 35–85 lb
- Lifespan
- 11–13 yrs
Among the 500 breeds here with recorded measurements, the Chow Chow is taller than 37% of the measured breeds, heavier than 69%, one of 22 in the Non-Sporting group, one of 6 from China.
Living with the Chow Chow
Two breed references score every breed they cover from 1 to 5 on the things an owner lives with day to day. These are the Chow Chow’s, with what a 1 and a 5 mean on each row.
- Affection with family
- 3 of 51 independent · 5 devoted
- Good with young children
- 2 of 51 not suited · 5 very good
- Good with other dogs
- 2 of 51 not suited · 5 very good
- Openness to strangers
- 2 of 51 reserved · 5 everyone is a friend
- Watchdog / protective nature
- 5 of 51 unbothered · 5 vigilant
- Energy
- 2 of 51 couch potato · 5 busy all day
- Exercise needs
- 2 of 51 a short walk · 5 a job to do
- Playfulness
- 2 of 51 only when invited · 5 non-stop
- Barking
- 1 of 51 only to alert · 5 very vocal
- Shedding
- 1 of 51 barely · 5 constantly
- Drooling
- 3 of 51 a dry mouth · 5 keep a towel
- Tolerates being alone
- 5 of 51 poorly · 5 well
- Tolerates hot weather
- 2 of 51 poorly · 5 well
- Tolerates cold weather
- 5 of 51 poorly · 5 well
Rated 1 to 5 by the American Kennel Club and DogTime, averaged where both rate the same thing, and read from their breed pages in 2022. Nobody at Woof & Beyond has met this breed — these are the publishers’ judgments, not ours.Chow Chow on AKCChow Chow on DogTime
Breeds that look like the Chow Chow
A neural network trained to tell breeds apart by sight read all 510 photographs in this reference, and these are the 6 it placed closest to the Chow Chow.
Height 0–38 in
- Chow Chow17–22 in
- Shiba Inu14–17 in
- Icelandic Sheepdog12–16 in
- Hokkaido19–20 in
- Finnish Spitz17–20 in
- Pastor Garafiano24–28 in
- Eurasier20–24 in
Weight 0–220 lb
- Chow Chow40–90 lb
- Shiba Inu18–25 lb
- Icelandic Sheepdog25–30 lb
- Hokkaido44–66 lb
- Finnish Spitz26–29 lb
- Pastor Garafiano77–101 lb
- Eurasier51–71 lb
Lifespan 0–20 yrs
- Chow Chow11–13 yrs
- Shiba Inu13–15 yrs
- Icelandic Sheepdog~12 yrs
- Hokkaido12–15 yrs
- Finnish Spitz13–15 yrs
- Pastor Garafianono recorded figure
- Eurasier12–14 yrs
Nothing here was grouped by hand. The ranking is an opinion about appearance, not about ancestry, which is why it sometimes puts together breeds no kennel club would — and why it is worth looking at the photographs rather than taking the order on trust.